Former Top Gear producer suing Clarkson & the BBC for racial discrimination

The incident that cost presenter Jeremy Clarkson his job at Top Gear has taken a new twist today with the announcement that Oisin Tymon, the Irish TV producer who was attacked by Clarkson following a row over a meal, is suing the motoring host and the BBC for racial discrimination and personal injury.

Tymon's lawyers and the BBC went through a preliminary hearing at the Central London Employment Tribunal in Kingsway today.

The BBC investigation which led to them sacking Clarkson originally concluded that Tymon was “subject to an unprovoked physical and verbal attack”, during which he was “struck, resulting in swelling and bleeding to his lip”. There were also allegations that he had referred to Tymon's nationality in a derogatory manner during said verbal attack.

Following the incident, Tymon was attacked by supporters of Clarkson on Twitter before the presenter asked them to stop, saying "All I would like to say is ... I wish people would leave Ois alone because none of this was his fault."

In April it was revealed that police would take no action following the incident, by Tymon has clearly decided to explore the avenues of private prosecution.

Damages in employment tribunal cases are normally capped at around £80,000, with discrimination cases sometimes reaching over £100,000.